Peterson reunites with Fancher on the bench

From staff reports

Published: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 5:24 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 5:24 p.m.

UNCW men's basketball coach Buzz Peterson filled a second opening in his staff Tuesday with another familiar face, as former Appalachian State coach Houston Fancher was announced as an assistant coach for the 2013-14 season.

Peterson, who added longtime UNC-Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach to his bench in early April, worked together with Fancher in Boone for four seasons, from 1996-2000.

“I'm very excited about having Houston join our Seahawk family,” Peterson said in a UNCW press release. “When I got the job at Appalachian State, he was the first person I hired. He's a real fireball with great recruiting ties and a high energy level.”

After Peterson left for Tennessee, Fancher was promoted and coached the Mountaineers for nine seasons, winning three division titles in the Southern Conference. He then spent four seasons at Tennessee himself, two as an assistant under Bruce Pearl and two more as director of basketball operations under Cuonzo Martin.

“I've worked with some great people,” Fancher said in the press release, “but I've missed the interaction on the floor with the kids and being in the mix.”

Peterson, Biedenbach and Fancher have combined for 724 victories over 47 seasons as collegiate head coaches.

The Seahawks are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and return four starters from 2012-13. However, they do lose two-time first-team all-CAA selection Keith Rendleman, the program's career leader in rebounds and top-five in points scored.

<p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic71"><b>UNCW</b></a> men's basketball coach <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9942"><b>Buzz Peterson</b></a> filled a second opening in his staff Tuesday with another familiar face, as former Appalachian State coach Houston Fancher was announced as an assistant coach for the 2013-14 season.</p><p>Peterson, who added longtime UNC-Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach to his bench in early April, worked together with Fancher in Boone for four seasons, from 1996-2000.</p><p>“I'm very excited about having Houston join our Seahawk family,” Peterson said in a UNCW press release. “When I got the job at Appalachian State, he was the first person I hired. He's a real fireball with great recruiting ties and a high energy level.”</p><p>After Peterson left for Tennessee, Fancher was promoted and coached the Mountaineers for nine seasons, winning three division titles in the Southern Conference. He then spent four seasons at Tennessee himself, two as an assistant under Bruce Pearl and two more as director of basketball operations under Cuonzo Martin.</p><p>“I've worked with some great people,” Fancher said in the press release, “but I've missed the interaction on the floor with the kids and being in the mix.”</p><p>Peterson, Biedenbach and Fancher have combined for 724 victories over 47 seasons as collegiate head coaches.</p><p>The Seahawks are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and return four starters from 2012-13. However, they do lose two-time first-team all-CAA selection Keith Rendleman, the program's career leader in rebounds and top-five in points scored.</p>